Love and friendship
by blushingyellow
Summary: Charlie and Tonks had been friends since first year. Now the two of them are beginning to feel things they think they shouldn't. Who will be the first to act on those feelings?
1. Charlie

Charlie Weasley was a popular guy. Prefect, Gryffindor quidditch captain, and all around fun guy. Everyone always seemed to want a piece of him. He didn't often mind but he today he had lost track of time while discussing the upcoming World Cup. Tonks was going to kill him for being late.

She was already on the stands when he arrived. Hanging upside down with her legs hooked under the seats above her. Her short strawberry colored hair blowing in the wind. She had obviously rushed here to meet him. Her school sanctioned skirt was making its way up her shapely legs, the tie that had been around her neck now twisted around her wrist.

"I rushed her after detention so I wouldn't be late and you are late. You prat!" She screamed when he finally caught her attention. She was being melodramatic as usual but her words caught his interest.

"Detention again? What you do this time?" He asked sitting down next to her, her smooth toned legs at eye level he had to force himself to look at her face.

She struggled to right herself, flinging her legs over his head. He hardly noticed her kicking him on the back of the head as he caught a glance at her red lacy panties. He faced forward trying to ignore the arousal he felt for her in that moment. He was a guy after all and despite that she was is best friend he couldn't help what turned him on.

"This stupid Slytherin girl made fun of my pink hair and you know I thought she'd love for her to match." He laughed loudly, if he knew Tonks as well as he thought he did some amusing mishap was coming and he was excited for it.

"How'd she like her hair?" He asked edging her to finish the rest of the story.

"Well she didn't," she said with a soft sigh. Something heavy was coming and Charlie was on the edge of his seat."I sort of set her hair on fire. I blame it on genetics if I didn't have my gift I might actually be decent at transfiguration charms, instead I set people's hair on fire." Charlie couldn't contain himself. Laughter came bounding out of him. His face burning as red as his hair.

Tonks punched him hard in the arm and his laughter stopped. For such a small girl, she really had power in her swing.

"Oow," he yelled rubbing the spot she had hit. "What the hell was that for?"

"I rushed out here, not changing out of my uniform, so I wouldn't be late. Then you were late, you prat." She repeated with a shake of her head.

"Just be lucky I deem you worthy of my time." He teased instinctively moving out of her wing span in case she decided to hit him again. She chuckled. The sounds was soft and familiar. Charlie had probably heard it a million times over the years but he'd never tire of it.

"Oh yes, how could I forget. All hail king Charlie the coolest boy in school." She gave him a mocking bow before she pushed him over on his side. Obviously he didn't move far enough away from her. "Oh wait that's your brother, Bill."

He placed a hand over his heart and pretended to swoon, over the heart ache her comment caused him.

"Ouch, that really hurt Nymphadora." He said a smirk on the corner of his lips. Her eyes darkened as she clenched her teeth. Her pink hair fluttered into into golden flames. He never tired of seeing her reaction to that name, maybe one day she would tell him why she hated her name so much.

"Don't. Call. Me. Nymphadora. " she said between clenched teeth. He laughed and her red hot rage simmered.

"We doing this or what?" He asked glancing out at the pitch. Between averting his thoughts and teasing her Charlie had almost forgotten why they had agreed to meet here in the first place. Last game Tonks had been knocked off her broom by a weak bludger. She had asked him to help her stay on her broom, by hitting bludger at her. He was kind of looking forward to it.

"Yeah let's go." She said before jumping up and heading towards the broom closet not waiting for Charlie to keep up.

He winced as the Bludger knocked her clear off her broom. Luckily she was only a few feet above the ground but when she hit the ground a dust cloud of dirt hid her from view for a moment. He could see the frustration festering inside her as she lay defeated on the ground.

Gracefully, Charlie landed and dropped his broom beside her. He nudged her foot with his boot and could not manage to keep his laughter to himself as she unleashed a string of profanities. Cursing the sun, air, ground, and him. She moved lightning fast, swinging her leg up and knocking his feet out from under him. His seeker reflexes were slowed down from the exhaustion of hitting those stupid and heavy Bludgers at her, he tried to brace himself for the fall but it was pointless. He landed with a grunt, ontop of her. He was suddenly very aware of every breath she took. Her heavy breath feathered against his neck, the dip and rise of her chest brushed against his. Logic left him, there was only this moment. He lifted himself off of her but his hands stayed cradling her hip, his eyes locked on hers. Those inappropriate thoughts he had tried so hard to push away returned. This was his best friend but at that moment all he could think about was how those soft, snarky lips of hers would taste. His fingers wondered, softly brushing up her side. Her eyes fluttered closed and her roses pink lips parted. He was so close, just a few more inches and he would finally know if she tatted as sweet as she smelled. Even now, covered with dirty and sweat there was a soft sense of strawberries on the air around her.

Her eyes burst open and he jumped back, logic forced its way back into his brain. Tonks was his friend, it was crazy to start thinking like this. He couldn't stand the idea of losing her as a friend.

"It's getting late." She said brushing a strand of her hair out of her face. He nodded and focused on getting him mind on something else while she talked. "I'll see you at Herbology tomorrow?" She pushed past him and snatched her broom that had falling at least ten feet from where she had. He smiled cheerfully as he dusted of his pants.

"Be a good girl and don't set anyone on fire on your way to the castle." She forced fake malicious laughter, but even that sound was pleasant to Charlie's ears.

"Very funny." She had started walking out of the pitch but turned around for a brief moment. "I make no promises." She said with a wave of her fingers. It was just like her to leave before they cleaned up after themselves. Tonight however Charlie didn't mind doing it alone.


	2. Tonks excitement

div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"Midnight was Tonks favorite time of the day. Everyone in the Hufflepuff dormitory was sleeping, she and Rae Blackwell could sneak into the kitchen for their marathon of midnight snacks. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"They've been doing this for years sometimes it was the only time they saw each other. Especially this year. Rae was busy studying for the NEWTS and trying to decide what she was going to do with the rest of her life. And Tonks was struggling with her OWLS, just like everyone else in her year was. This wasn't how she thought fifth year would go, stuck in the tedious routine that was school and quidditch, which explained her poor impulse control./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Have you gone in for career counseling with Sprout yet?" Rae asked as they took a seat on the cheery yellow rug infront of the fire. Tonks glanced at her friend and shook her head. The sudden jerking movement of her neck caused shooting pains to spread across her body. A few days after her and Charlie's training session and her body was still recoiling from the abuse she put it through. Rae watched Tonks restricted movement with worry in her bright blue eyes. Tonks didn't want to talk about it, though she was sure Rae would find a way to get it out of her./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Not yet, tomorrow I think." Rae just nodded, silently watching as Tonks dipped a whole pickle into the peanut butter she had smuggled into school. Her gaze was like the rays of the sun, burning Tonks' fair skin with a slight tingle. "I can see the questions in your eyes, why not ask them instead of staring at me like that."/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I didn't know if you wanted to talk about it." Rae said softly. There was a shyness about her tonight that was unlike her./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""When has that stopped you before?" A slightly mischievous smirk spread across her whole face. Rae's somber mood lifted as she laughed. The sound personifying girlhood, it was in essence everything that made Rae Rae./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""True, so what's with the pained expression on your face?"/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I spent three hours today playing with Charlie." It wasn't until she saw the sly brow arch on her friends face that she realized she could have worded that so much better. A soft blush crept onto Tonks' cheeks. "What I mean is that Charlie was helping me by hitting Bludgers at me for three hours. That's all." She felt the need to add the last part from the look in Rae's eyes. Like her dreams were coming true. Rae was a third year when Charlie and Tonks had become friends and from that moment Rae had not kept quiet about how cute they would be together. Luckily tonight she kept it to herself. Even as she went on talking about something else Tonks' mind was back on that moment in the pitch. She could have sworn Charlie was going to kiss her and maybe that's why she panicked and fleed. And while she wanted to talk about it and try to understand why she was feeing so down, she knew if she mentioned any of it to Rae the girl would spend the rest of the year trying to push the two of them together.../div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"The next day her body wasn't feeing any better, over night several bruises popped up on her shoulders and back. Rae spent the majority of the morning trying to talk Tonks into going to the hospital wing to get them fixed up, but she just didn't get it. Sure she was in a little pain but they were badges of honor. Proof she was more then her schoolwork, and that was a great feeling./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Skip next class with me?" Rae asked as they walked down one extremely crowded hallway. Students from every direction bumped into her, forcing her into a stone column. Large hands that could not possibly belong to Rae held her up on her feet when the pain in her shoulder made her want to crumple to the floor. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"Her breath was taken away as she looked into the eyes of Hunter Savage. She let her eyes rack over him. His dark wavy hair laid perfectly across his forehead, a rogue hair fell infront of his green eyes. Eyes that matched perfectly with his green and silver tie./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""It's Tonks right?" He asked, she had to ripe her gaze off of him when she noticed Rae swinging her arms in the hall behind him. The girl winked and scattered down the hallway. "Are you okay?"/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Yeah," she said when she finally found her voice. "I did some endurance training yesterday and the Bludgers really kicked my ass." He laughed softly but there was still concern in his gaze. His hands still on her arms holding her./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""They tend to do that." Suddenly he yanked her forward, she stumbled over her own feet and into his chest as a loud bang echoed from behind her. "Stupid second years don't know how to watch where they are going." He said with a scoff. She couldn't breath and this time it had nothing to do with Hunter. She held her shoulder and tried not to groan. His fingers graded the skin at her neck as he pulled her shirt open. "This looks really bad lets get you up to Madam Pomfrey." She didn't argue with him as he pulled her in the direction of the hospital wing./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Thanks,"/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""It's no problem Tonks, plus it gives me a reason to talk to you." She smiled softly as they turned down a nearly empty hallway. Newly hatched butterflies were flapping heir wings in the pit of her stomach. Hunter was pretty well known in their year. He was basically Charlie with dark hair and a bad reputation but he was by far the most desirable boy in the school. It was the mix of dark skin and soft blue eyes that took everybody by surprise. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Why would you need a reason to talk to me?" She asked glancing out of the corner of her eyes to look at him. He had his gaze fixed on her face, a gentle smile playing at his lips. He didn't smile much in the one class they had together but every time Tonks caught it she knew there was something behind his soulful eyes. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Because it would be weird if I just asked you out randomly." Tonks was shocked into silence. She normally talked too much in situations like this, over sharing and bumbling her words about but she couldn't seem to make her lips move. Luckily they turned into the hospital wing and madam Pomfrey ushered her behind a curtain to check out all of her bruising./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"After a particularly foul tasting potion the pain in her bones began to subside. Madam Pomfrey sat and watched as the bruises started to fade. The matron shaking her head and muttering about the stupidity of sports as she headed back to her office./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""You alright in there?" Hunter's voice sounded from the other side of the curtain, Tonks froze in the middle of buttoning up her shirt. Never in a million years did Tonks think Hunter would have waited around on her. She slipped her yellow and black tie over her head and ripped back the curtain to see him leaning against a bed across the room. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""You didn't have to stay." She said, he just shook his head./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""What kind of Healer would I be if I didn't? Plus you didn't answer my question." She smiled softly as every nerve in her body began to buzz. This was really happening. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""To be fair you didn't really ask one." Together they began to walk down the hall, his soft laugh following them./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Tonks, will you go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I'd love to." She could barely contain her excitement. Five years here at Hogwarts and she had never been on a date. Plenty of boys had asked but she had never said yes. This felt like the start of something and she was almost as excited about this as she was the Hufflepuff Gryffindor game Friday night. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"They went their separate ways after promising to catch up and make a plan for their trip. Tonks was walking on air as she hurried towards the greenhouse before she missed another class./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"Her feet caught on the door as she entered the greenhouse and she landed on her face. Every set of eyes seemed drawn to her as she righted herself. She could see Charlie hanging in the back trying not to bust a gut from holding back his laughter. Professor Sprout stopped Tonks as she tried to make it back there before she caused another scene./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Where have you been Ms. Tonks?" She demanded, her normal cool demeaner always seemed to vanish when Tonks was in the room./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""The hospital wing." She muttered keeping her eyes on the floor of the greenhouse. She had planned on lying but as head of the Hufflepuff house, professor Sprout always seemed to bring the truth out of her./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Very well." She motioned for Tonks to take her spot next to Charlie. "Oh but next time try to get hurt after my class."/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Man does she have it out for you." Charlie said with a laugh as he tended to the fanged geranium they were tasked with taking care of. She eyed the plant suspiciously, it wanted a piece of her more then professor Sprout did. "What'd you do to her?"/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""It's not my fault." Tonks said sticking with her set excuse. Years she'd had been messing around with magic and pranks, it was her automatic response and she couldn't help when it came out of her mouth. "Professor Sprout just has no sense of humor."/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Never mind I don't want to know what you did. So why were you really late?" He asked as she set her stuff down underneath the table. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""I wasn't lying I was at the hospital wing."/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Tonks are you okay?" His attention shifted down to her kneeling at his feet and the vicious fanged geranium took that moment to bite through Charlie's holely gloves. He yelped softly and jumped back from the malicious plant. It was just as Tonks feared, it had tasted her blood and now it wanted more./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"She jumped up and pressed a bandage to his hand. All thoughts from the night before had vanished from her head completely. Charlie was her friend and he'd be just as excited for her as she was. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""That's not even the exciting part." She said looking up into Charlie's eyes. He smiled weakly still obviously focused on the puncture wounds in his fingers. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""What's exciting about going to the hospital wing?"/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Exactly, unless you are escorted and asked out by one Hunter Savage." Charlie stopped moving and just stared at his friend. A million thoughts going on behind those dark eyes of his and Tonks couldn't distinguish a single one of them. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Tonks," he paused after her name, his eyes darting around the room. Clearly Mr. Smooth was at a loss for words. For some reason that perked her up. "Why would he want to go out with you." He said when he finally spoke. His words like a slap across the face. She was angry, truly and bitterly angry at her friend. She knew she was quirky and she never lacked for dating options so why would Charlie say such a thing./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Maybe because I'm awesome and not hard on the eyes."/div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Yeah but that's because of your Metamorphmagus. Who knows what you really look like." Embarrassment seemed to over take him but his words were out. Tonks had thought she couldn't be angrier at him but she didn't want to test it. She held her hand up as he began to open his mouth to speak./div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;""Don't, don't speak. Let's just do this in silence." She snapped, all of her rage and sadness vibrating through her voice. He was her friend, he wasn't suppose to say things like that. Even when they were making fun of each other it had never been that hurtful. She didn't know what to think. /div  
div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"As soon as class was over he attempted to speak to her but she couldn't even look at him. Was that why he was her friend? Just so he didn't have to worry about guys trying to hit on her? His words still hurt as they echoed around in her head. She left her bag and ran away from him./div 


	3. His unfathomable stupidity

It was like he had no control over the words that left his lips. He had no idea what had come over him and now Tonks wouldn't even let him speak and apologize. He did as she asked and didn't speak for the rest of the class. Of all people though, why did it have to be Hunter? He hated that guy and maybe it was the rivalry between their houses but it felt like more then that.

As class ended Charlie reached out again to apologize but she was already gone, she was nothing but a blur of pink going out the door. When he reached for his stuff he noticed she had left her stuff behind. He could seriously kick himself, he had really messed up this time and had no idea how to fix it.

He tried returning her bag to her but she was going out of her way to avoid him. He didn't see her at dinner or breakfast the next day. He tried all of her usual spots, the 3rd floor corridor, the quidditch pitch, and even the shore of the black lake. He came up empty everywhere. Finally at breakfast he spotted her friend Rae sneaking out of the great hall with a bunch of food and rushed over before she could disappear on him too.

She tried to run away from him when she noticed he was tailing her but Charlie was faster.

"What do you want?" She demanded her voice full of venom, when he caught her by the arm. He was at a loss for words. The only thing he knew for sure is that he didn't want Tonks to be mad at him any more.

"Where is she?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. But leave her alone, you've done enough." Frustration dug its claws into him. This wasn't like Tonks. She was always so collected and let his insults roll off of her, why was this time different. And why had he said those things to beginning with. He thrust Tonks bright pink back into Rae's arms causing the girl to drop the plate of food to the floor.

"Tell her when she is done acting like a child to come find me." He didn't let the girl respond. He was out of there before he could do any thing else stupid that he would regret.

When he went into the great hall only his brother Bill was left at the Gryffindor table. All his class mates and housemates had left to enjoy what little freedom that they had before classes started for the day.

Charlie threw himself down on the bench and caught the attention of his brother. It was surprising to see bill with out hordes of girls surrounding him.

"You should just tell her you love her and end all of this." Bill said matter of factly. It took a moment for Charlie to understand what his older brother meant by that but when it hit him he grunted.

"Please Bill. She's my friend and that's it." His voice strained. He was already at his frustration threshold after his brief conversation with Rae. If Bill kept on Charlie could feel his threshold straining already.

"You freaked out when Savage asked her out and now you are surprised she won't talk to you?" Charlie couldn't wrap his mind around how his older brother had gotten that information. He was two years a head of them, since when did seventh years gossip about the going one of fifth years?

"How the hell did you know that?"

"Charlie, Tonks is really lose to Rae Blackwell who is in my year and chased me down to beat some sense into you." He laughed softy. "That girl is scary when she wants to be. It was kind of hot. So are you going to tell her?"

"I'm not in love with Tonks." He said again slamming his closed fists into the table. Everybody needed to stop assuming that he and Tonks couldn't be just friends because he was a man and she was a girl. A super clumsy girl with great curves hidden underneath her robes.

"Whatever you say Romeo."

"You cheated." He yelled over the cheering of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. His own team members tried and failed to pull him away from her. He was blinded by a white hot rage that seemed to come out of no where. Tonks flipped around when her eyes landed on him she shrugged the accusation off and continued celebrating with her teammates as they headed towards the dressing room.

"Blatching is illegal Tonks!" He screamed at her back as he pulled away from his teammates. Feeling the tension in the air his teammates pulled away leaving him all alone screaming at his friend who hasn't spoken to him in days, even switched partners in herbology.

She turned her hands resting on her hips as she glared at him.

"Excuse me?" She demanded. The first words she had spoken to him in what seemed like forever and there was a fire behind her eyes.

"You deliberately rammed into our keeper and knocked him out of the game." He accused closing the gap between them. Her fellow teammates shouted at him but he drowned them out.

"What?"

"You heard me, you guys should have never won." A small crowd gathered around them as Charlie's anger took control of him. Building until it exploded.

"Why? Because Hufflepuffs can't possibly be as good as the Gryffindors?" She snarled, her hair burning bright red like flames licking her neck.

"Damn straight!" There was a pause between his words and when her fist smashed into his face. Sticky blood spewed out of his nose and suddenly Mcgonagal appeared between the two of them before Tonks could take another swing.

"What is going on here?" She demanded. Charlie held his nose as Tonks glared at him from the other side of professor Mcgonagal. Her team all started talking at once defending her actions while madam Pomfrey came over and tended to Charlie's broken nose. After a moment the head of Gryffindor house came over to him.

"What were you thinking Mr. Weasley?" She demanded catching him off guard. He stammered, his jaw dropping.

"They cheated Mcgonagal, I couldn't do nothing." He sputtered out but she cut him off.

"This was no way to handle the situation. You are the the captain of this team, if you suspected cheating you should have come to me. I will see you in detention all week starting tomorrow."

"What? But she is the one who hit me!" He screamed but the look Mcgonagal gave him calmed him down. He needed to watch himself before he got himself into even more trouble.

"I know what happened Mr. Weasley, which is why I will see her in detention as well. I will not have my best student brawling in the quidditch pitch like common hooligans. Also I will be writing to your mother." Nausea welled up inside Charlie. He could handle most anything that came his way but his mother terrified him. "My office tomorrow morning."

He stomped off the pitch without saying another word.


End file.
